Surveying Wireless Device Users by Location

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a system and method for conducting survey using wireless devices. The system architecture of the present invention comprises a location server and a location system. The location server can receive a survey request from a subscriber, delineate a survey area for the survey, broadcast a query containing the survey to a plurality of wireless devices, process responses received from the wireless devices, and deliver a result of the survey to the subscriber. The location system can generate location information for each of the wireless devices that received the query. The location system may be a network-based unit or a portable unit provisioned at each of the wireless devices. In one of the embodiments, the location system is a GPS receiver that generates the longitude and the latitude of the wireless devices at which it is provisioned.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/027,475, filed Sep. 16, 2013, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety; and which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/195,086, filed Aug. 1, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.8,538,456, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety;and which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/637,369,filed Dec. 12, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,126, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety; and which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/739,162, filed Dec. 19, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No.7,181,225, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to telecommunication systems, and inparticular, to a system and method for conducting survey using wirelessdevices.

BACKGROUND

The use of wireless devices is increasing at a rapid rate. A majority ofthe people living in large metropolitan areas use one or more wirelessdevices on a daily basis. These people communicate with each other oraccess information on the Internet using, among other devices, wirelesstelephones, interactive pagers, personal digital assistants, andhandheld computers. As technology continues to improve, wireless deviceswill become more useful; at the same time, they will decrease in sizeand weight, making them more portable than ever. Consequently, consumersmay carry their wireless devices wherever they go. For some people,their wireless devices will become indispensable.

The widespread use of wireless telephones in the United States hasprompted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate newrules related to emergency call processing. The FCC's wireless Enhanced911 (E911) rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS)carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identityinformation in two phases. The first phase, starting on Apr. 1, 1998,required wireless service providers to transmit a 911 caller's numberand section of the cell site from which the call is originated to apublic safety answering point (PSAP). The second phase, starting on Oct.31, 2001, requires all wireless service providers to locate two-thirdsof all 911 callers within 125 meters of their physical locations. Inother words, for all 911 calls received, a PSAP must be able to pinpoint67% of the callers within 125 meters.

Under the FCC rules, wireless communication networks and wirelesstelephones (or any wireless devices that can be used to call 911), mustprovide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911dispatcher. To provide a caller's identity, the wireless device willfurnish a device identification, e.g., a mobile identification number(MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device.To provide a caller's location, the wireless communication networks andwireless devices will use a network-based location system or a handheldlocation system installed within the wireless devices, or a combinationof the two systems. An example of a handheld location system is a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,734, which isincorporated herein by reference, discloses a GPS receiver and a methodfor processing GPS signals.

The E911 mandate has accelerated technological advances in locationtechnology. Many new innovations have been achieved to provide solutionsto a wide range of problems. However, many problems remain unsolved. Oneof the problems that has not been solved is to count the number ofpeople attending an event that does not require admission tickets. Forexample, no one knows how many people gather at the National Mall inWashington, D.C. to enjoy the fireworks display on the Fourth of July.Similarly, no one knows how many beach-goers are sunbathing on aparticular section of a popular beach on a particular day.

There are a number of existing methods for counting people. Onefrequently used method is to count the number of people present within asmall unit area, and then multiply that count by the total number ofunit areas. For example, if there are 500 people counted within a 10,000square-foot area, and there are one million square feet, the totalnumber of people present within that one million square-foot area isestimated to be 50,000. This method is inherently inaccurate because iterroneously assumes that the density of people throughout the whole areais constant. Indeed, at the Fourth of July gathering, for example, areaswith a better view of the fireworks display tend to be more crowded thanother areas. This method of counting could also be expensive if aerialphotographs must be taken to delineate the area in question. Inaddition, this method takes many hours, and sometimes days, to complete.

A reasonably accurate count is useful for several purposes. For example,historians and the media need it to document an event while the policeand event organizers use such data to better prepare for future events.In addition, a business entity may depend on the count as a basis tojustify its advertising campaigns. For example, an advertiser may findit worthwhile to hire an airplane to pull an advertisement banner alonga beach if there is a sufficiently large crowd of people on the beach.

Until now, wireless communication technologies have not been adapted toobtain an estimate of the number of people congregated within ageographical area. Until now, no wireless devices have been used tosurvey the opinion of people gathered within a certain area. Until now,there is no method for delivering an instantaneous result for a querybroadcast to all people located within a specific location. In short,there is not a wireless communications service that can perform avariety of surveys via wireless devices.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a system and method for conducting a surveyusing wireless devices. The present invention comprises a locationserver that can communicate with a plurality of wireless devices in awireless communication network. The location server comprises a memory,as an integral or separate component, for storing information thatincludes, among other things, location and identity information. Thelocation information can comprise point coordinates, and the identityinformation can comprise Mobile Identification Numbers (MINs). In apreferred embodiment, point coordinates associated with a wirelessdevice contain a longitude and a latitude.

The overall system architecture of the present invention furtherincludes a location system. The location system can provide the locationinformation indicating where the wireless devices are. In preferredembodiments, the location information can comprise the longitude andlatitude of the wireless device. The location system can be anetwork-based component. The location system can determine the locationof a wireless device using known methods. For example, a network-basedlocation system could obtain position coordinates of a wireless deviceusing triangulation across cell sites. The location system can also be ahandheld unit that is part of wireless device. An example of a handheldlocation system is a GPS receiver that is in communication with aconstellation of GPS satellites. Finally, the location system maycomprise both network-based and handheld units. In fact, a preferredembodiment of the present invention has both network-based and handheldlocation systems that can provide redundancy and increased accuracy.

A method for using the present invention comprises a number of stepsdescribed below. First, a survey area is defined. The survey area may bedefined by using a proper name (e.g., the National Mall), a generalvicinity (e.g., within three miles of the Atlanta HartsfieldInternational Airport), or any other definitions. Second, the surveyarea is delineated. Delineation of the survey area may be done using anyknown methods, including the use of at least three nodes each of whichcan comprise point coordinates. Third, at least one antenna can be usedto broadcast a wireless signal that contains the survey. Fourth, one ormore wireless devices that received the survey can transmit a responseto the location server. The response may be created with or withoutintervention from the user of the wireless device. Fifth, locationinformation that pinpoints the location of the wireless devices can begenerated by a location system. The location information may betransmitted to the location server as part of the response, or it may betransmitted separately. Sixth, responses received from wireless deviceslocated outside the survey area, if any, can be filtered out. Seventh,the remaining responses received from wireless devices located withinthe survey area can be processed in accordance with the survey. Finally,a result of the survey may be compiled and delivered.

The present invention has numerous embodiments and applications. Each ofthe embodiments comprises one or more of the steps described above. Thesteps may be implemented in any logical order, i.e., the order is notlimited to the order in which the steps are described above.

In one aspect of the invention, the response received from a wirelessdevice can further include an identification information of the wirelessdevice.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to augment theutility of wireless devices.

It is another object of the present invention to obtain an instantaneouscount of the number of wireless devices operating within a survey area.

It is another object of the present invention to estimate the number ofpeople gathered in the survey area.

It is another object of the present invention to survey the peoplepresent within the survey area.

It is another object of the present invention to track the whereaboutsof wireless devices operating within the survey area.

These and other objects of the present invention are described ingreater detail in the detailed description of the invention, theappended drawings, and the attached claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of the systemarchitecture of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the general steps involved in usingan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cell site of a wirelesscommunication network.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the step involved in using a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention in which an interventionfrom wireless device users is not required.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of cell sites of awireless communication network.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the step involved in using a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention in which an interventionfrom a wireless device user is required.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a cell site of a wirelesscommunication network within which a dispatch system is located.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the step involved in using the thirdpreferred embodiment of the present invention as a dispatch system.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of cell sites of awireless communication network serving a large metropolitan area.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the step involved in using a fourthpreferred embodiment of the present invention to track movements ofwireless devices within the large metropolitan area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the systemarchitecture of an embodiment of the present invention. The presentinvention comprises location server 102, memory 104, at least one ofwireless device 110 and wireless device 111, and at least one wirelesscommunication link 108. Wireless devices 110 and 111 may be any wirelessapparatus. For example, wireless devices 110 and 111 may be wirelesstelephones, handheld computers, personal digital assistants, orinteractive pagers. Each of the components described above is a part ofa wireless communication network 100.

To track the location of wireless device 110, the system architecturecan include one or both of network-based location system 106 andhandheld location system 112. Network-based location system 106 may bean integral or a separate component of location server 102. Handheldlocation system 112 can be an integrated component of wireless device110. One or both of network-based location system 106 and handheldlocation system 112 can generate location information pinpointing thelocation of wireless device 110. In preferred embodiments, the locationinformation comprises point coordinates of wireless device 110. In anexemplary embodiment of the present invention, the point coordinates cancomprise a longitude and a latitude, indicating the geographic locationof the device. For increased accuracy, the point coordinates may furthercomprise an altitude.

In preferred embodiments, the present invention further comprises frontend 130, which is an intermediary wireless network component thatconnects location server 102 to global computer network 140 and publicswitched telephone network (PSTN) 150. Front end 130 can interface withat least one location server, including location server 102 and locationserver 103. As indicated in FIG. 1, global computer network 140 and PSTN150 are accessible by various equipment, including computer 141,wireless telephone 142, and wireline telephone 151.

Location server 102 is a server that can receive requests fromsubscribers to survey wireless devices located within a specific area ata specific time. Location server 102 in preferred embodiments is acomponent that is compatible with GPS, Geographic Information Systems(GIS), and Wireless Appliance Protocol (WAP). Requests from customersmay be received via a number of channels, including through globalcomputer network 140 and PSTN 150. Location server 102 can receive, inconjunction with, or in lieu of, voice signals and data messages, aresponse from wireless device 110. The response may comprise one or bothof location information and identity information of wireless device 110.Furthermore, location server 102 can process the response to accomplishspecific goals. For example, location server 102 could use the responseto count the number of wireless devices located within a specific area.Location server 102 could also use the response to determine, at anygiven time, the identity of wireless device 110, including the telephonenumber and the name of the user of wireless device 110.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, location server 102is a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) server. WAP is an applicationenvironment and set of communication protocols for wireless devicesdesigned to enable manufacturer-, vendor-, and technology-independentaccess to global computer network 140 and advanced wireless telephonyservices. An example of global computer network 140 is the Internet. WAPprovides wireless Internet access through digital cellular networks,giving network users a menu driven method for downloading information,such as flight schedules and bank account balances, to wireless devicesfrom the Internet. WAP is described in WAP version 1.1, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

Although shown as a separate component in FIG, 1, memory 104 could be anintegrated component of location server 102. Memory 104 can store, forexample, the response and other information received by location server102. In addition, memory 104 may be populated with, among other things,MINs of wireless devices, subscriber information, and a database thatcontains point coordinates of any location served by wirelesscommunication network 100, including point coordinates of all antennasor base stations for broadcasting wireless signals in the network. Inaddition, memory 104 can contain a database associating popular placeswith their location information including longitudes and latitudes.

Wireless device 110 operates over wireless communication network 100. Inpreferred embodiments, wireless device 110 can provide means by which toexchange data. Familiar examples include interactive pagers, wirelesstelephones, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers withtext messaging capabilities. Preferably, wireless device 110 is aWAP-compatible thin client having a thin browser adapted to communicatewith location server 102 and to access global computer network 140.

Handheld location system 112 and network-based location system 106 canprovide location server 102 with the location information of wirelessdevice 110. Depending on the desired degree of accuracy, one or both oflocation systems 106 and 112 can be used to determine the location ofwireless device 110. In preferred embodiments, both location systems 106and 112 can be used to provide redundancy and increased accuracy.Network-based location system 106 is preferably WAP compatible that iscapable of generating location information for a plurality of wirelessdevices. Network-based location system 106 may also be a component usingGeographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. Handheld locationsystem 112 is preferably a GPS receiver provisioned in wireless device110. The GPS receiver is in wireless communication, via communicationlink 116, with a constellation of UPS satellites including satellite114.

Interactions among the various components described above have a largenumber of applications for wireless communications. For the purposes ofdemonstration, some specific embodiments or examples of how the presentinvention may be implemented are discussed below. Although the examplesbest illustrate the present invention, one of ordinary skill in the artwould appreciate that other embodiments are possible in light of thedisclosure. In addition, while the system operation described herein andillustrated in the diagrams and flowcharts contains many specificdetails, these specific details should not be construed as limitationson the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of preferredembodiments thereof As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in theart, many other variations on the system operation are possible,including differently grouped and ordered method steps. Accordingly, thescope of the invention should be determined not by the embodimentsillustrated, but by the appended claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the general steps involved in usingan embodiment of the present invention. In any specific embodiment, oneor more of these general steps may be used. Furthermore, each of thegeneral steps may include one or more sub-steps. Although these generalsteps and sub-steps are discussed herein sequentially, the steps may beimplemented in any combination and in any logical order to accomplish aspecific purpose. Furthermore, specific embodiments of the presentinvention may include additional steps not described.

In step 202, a survey area is selected. The selection of the survey areamay be done by any entity including without limitation, a wirelessservice provider, a customer of the wireless service provider, a localgovernment, the police, the media, or any business entities orindividuals. For convenience, the entity is referenced hereinafter as“the subscriber.” The selection may be provided by the subscriber to alocation server (e.g., location server 102 shown in FIG. 1) using, amongother channels of communication, global computer network 140 or PSTN150. In preferred embodiments, the selection can be provided to locationserver 102 via front end 130. The subscriber may access global computernetwork 140 and PSTN 150 via computer 141, wireless telephone 142,wireline telephone 151, or a combination of these devices. Thesubscriber may provide the name of the survey area using variousdesignations, including: a proper name, e.g., “the National Mall”;street intersections, e.g., “within 500 feet of the intersection ofPeach Road and Maple Avenue”; a section of a city, e.g., “the Northwestsection of Washington, D.C.”; or a particular floor of a high risebuilding, e.g., “the fifty-third floor of the Empire State Building.”

In step 204, the survey area is delineated. Delineation of the surveyarea may be done using any known methods. One method of delineation isby using nodes. At least three nodes are necessary to delineate atwo-dimensional area, and at least four nodes are required to delineatea three dimensional space. Each of the nodes comprises point coordinatesthat are preferably identified by longitude, latitude, and, in somecases, altitude of the node. Preferably, the delineation is performed bylocation server 102 using information stored in memory 104. Preferably,location server 102 and memory 104 are adapted to use GIS technology.

In step 206, a query in the form of a wireless signal can be broadcastover the survey area. The query can be structured in accordance with asurvey specified by the subscriber. The query can be broadcast via atleast one antenna or base station that has wireless coverage over thesurvey area. Preferably, the identity of the antenna can be obtainedfrom a database in memory 104. Depending on the level of accuracy anddesired granularity, each antenna can broadcast the query over amacrocell, a microcell, or a picocell. A macrocell covers a relativelylarge area (e.g., about 50-mile radius). A microcell covers a smallerarea (e.g., about 10-mile radius). A picocell covers an even smallerarea (e.g., a tunnel or a parking garage). Depending on the nature ofsurvey, the query may or may not be known to a user of a wireless devicethat receives the query. In some embodiments in which interactions fromwireless device users are desirable, the query may be made known oralerted to wireless device users through ringing or vibration on thewireless devices. In addition, the query may be displayed on thewireless devices in alphanumeric characters, or recited as a voicerecording.

In step 208, when a wireless device (such as wireless device 110 shownin FIG. 1) receives the query, it can analyze the query. Wireless device110 can determine whether to respond to the query based on theconditions contained in the query. If a response is appropriate, theresponse can be generated in step 210. The response may or may notinclude input from the user of the wireless device 110. However, theresponse always includes location information. The location informationcan be provided by a location system. The location system may behandheld location system 112 or network-based location system 106, or acombination of both. The location information preferably comprisesposition coordinates of wireless device 110. In preferred embodiments,the position coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude. Theresponse also preferably comprises the MIN of wireless device 110. Inpreferred embodiments, the MIN could be used to retrieve the name of thewireless device user from a database.

In step 212, the response is transmitted to location server 102.Transmittal of the response may be done automatically, i.e., withoutintervention or consent of the user of wireless device 110.Alternatively, the transmittal may require an affirmative action by thewireless device user, such as pressing one or more keys on wirelessdevice 110. Automatic transmittal is appropriate if the response onlycontains the location information. Manual transmittal is necessary ifthe wireless device user must supply specific information that isresponsive to the query.

In step 214, location server 102 receives and processes the response.Processing of the response may include filtering, which is adetermination of whether the response is received from a wireless deviceof interest. For example, if the location information indicates thatwireless device 110 is not located within the survey area, the responseis not be useful to the subscriber. Filtering may be performed using anyknown methods, the simplest of which is by plotting the pointcoordinates of wireless device 110 to determine whether it falls withinthe delineated boundaries of the survey area.

In step 216, location server 102 can use the response to perform anaction or a series of actions that are tailored specifically for thepurposes of the survey. For example, if the survey is to count how manywireless devices exist within the survey area, an appropriate actionwould be to add all responses received from wireless devices located inthe survey area. As explained in other examples discussed below, theresponse could be used for a wide range of purposes.

In step 218, location server 102 can compile a report documenting thesurvey. The report may be in the form of a text file, a voice recording,or in other suitable formats. In step 220, the report can be deliveredto the subscriber. The delivery may be accomplished via any knownchannels, including global computer network 140 and PSTN 150. Preferablythe report is delivered to the subscriber via the same channel throughwhich the subscriber had requested the survey. As would be apparent toone ordinarily skilled in the art, the report can be prepared anddelivered to the subscriber within seconds after the survey is launched.

In light of the above disclosure, there are many different embodimentsthrough which the present invention may be implemented. Set forth beloware four specific preferred embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cell site of a wirelesscommunication network. Cell site 300 may be a macrocell, a microcell, ora picocell. Antenna 310 has wireless coverage over the entire cell site300. A plurality of wireless devices, including wireless devices 320,321, 322, 330, and 331 are operating within cell site 300. Survey area340, shown in dashed lines, is delineated by a plurality of nodes 341.Wireless devices 330 and 331 are located within survey area 340, andwireless devices 320, 321 and 322 are located beyond the boundaries ofsurvey area 340. For convenience and for the purposes of thisdisclosure, cell site 300 is a hexagon having six nodes 301. In reality,cell site 300 may be an irregular shape depending on radio frequency(RF) pattern of antenna 300 and other factors.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the step involved in using a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention in which an interventionfrom wireless device users is not required. There are a number ofapplications for this embodiment. For discussion purposes, a specificexample is used. In the example, an event organizer (the subscriber)uses the present invention to conduct a survey with a limited purpose ofcounting the number of people attending the Fourth of July celebrationat the National Mall. For clarity, references are made to features shownin FIG. 1 and FIG. 3.

In step 342, the subscriber can designate “the National Mall” as thesurvey area. In step 344, the subscriber can provide the survey area toa location server, such as location server 102 shown in FIG. 1, via anumber of methods. For example, the survey area can be provided usingwireline telephone 151 through PSTN 150 and front end 130. Front end 130preferably has a voice recognition software that can solicit from thesubscriber a plurality of street names surrounding the Mall. In step346, location server 102 can delineate the survey area. Delineation ofthe area may be done using any known methods. For example, thedelineation may be done using nodes 341, which define the National Mallas survey area 340 shown in FIG. 3 in dashed lines. Point coordinatesassociated with nodes 341 can be obtained from a memory storage, such asmemory 104 shown in FIG. 1. The point coordinates of each node 341preferably comprise a longitude and a latitude. For a survey area thatis relatively flat, an altitude may not be necessary.

In step 348, a determination can be made to determine which antenna orantennas should be used. To that end, location server 102 can searchinformation contained in memory 104. For example, location server 102may find antenna 310 to be the most appropriate antenna because theentire survey area 340 is within wireless coverage of antenna 310. Ofcourse, if appropriate, more than one antenna may be used.

In step 350, location server 102, in conjunction with other appropriatewireless communication components including antenna 310, can broadcast aquery over cell site 300. The query is preferably in the form of awireless signal which is receivable by all wireless devices locatedwithin cell site 300, including wireless devices 320, 321 322, 330, and331. In this example, each of these wireless devices is equipped with aGPS receiver.

In step 352, wireless devices 320, 321, 322, 330, and 331 receive thewireless signal. The receipt of the wireless signal by each of thesewireless devices can trigger the GPS receiver provisioned at each of thewireless devices to generate location information in step 354. Thelocation information comprises a longitude and a latitude pinpointingthe location of the wireless device that generated the locationinformation at the time the location information was generated.

In step 356, a response comprising the location information can betransmitted by wireless devices 320, 321, 322, 330, and 331 to locationserver 102. In this embodiment, the transmittal of the response can beperformed automatically by wireless devices 320, 321, 322, 330, and 331because additional information from the users of these wireless devicesis not needed to complete the survey.

In step 358, location server 102 receives the response that contains thelocation information. In step 360, a determination can be made onwhether the response is one that which is desirable by the subscriber.For example, if the location information in the response indicates thatthe response is received from a wireless device is located beyond theboundaries of survey area 340, for example, a response received from oneof wireless devices 320, 321, and 322, that response is considered notdesirable. However, if the response is received from one of wirelessdevices 330 and 331, location server 102 may add that response to acumulating count in step 362. The addition of the response may beperformed using a summing circuit in location server 102. Thedetermination on whether a wireless devices is located within surveyarea 340 may be done using any known methods. For example, a wirelessdevices is outside of survey area 340 if all latitudes of nodes 341 aresouth of the latitude of the wireless device.

In step 364, when all responses received by location server 102 havebeen processed in steps 360 and 362, a total number of wireless deviceslocated in area 340 is obtained. The number can be an integer value. Instep 366, location server 102 can convert the integer value to thenumber of persons present within area 340. For example, if it is assumedthat each wireless device found in area 341 represents one person, thenthe integer value obtained in step 364 represents the number of personslocated in area 340 at the time the survey was conducted. Otherwise, theinteger value may be multiplied by a person-to-device ratio to arrive atthe number of persons. For example, if there is a reliable sourceindicating that one out of five persons in cell site 300 carries awireless device at all times, then a person-to-device ratio of five maybe used as the multiplier. Finally, in step 368, the count can bereported to the subscriber via a voice message through PSTN 150 andwireline telephone 151.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of cell sites of awireless communication network. Survey area 440, indicated in dashedlines and delineated by a plurality of nodes 441, is located withinwireless coverage of a plurality of cell sites, namely, cell sites 400,401, and 402. Cell sites 400, 401, and 402, are served by antennas 410,411, and 412, respectively. Wireless devices 430, 431, 432 and 433 arelocated within survey area 440, and wireless devices 420, 421, 422, 423,424, and 425 are located outside of survey area 440. Cell sites 400,401, and 402 may be macrocells, microcells, or picocells, depending onthe size of area 440.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the step involved in using a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention in which an interventionfrom a wireless device user is required. For discussion purposes, aspecific example is discussed herein. In the example, a subscriberdesires to conduct a presidential election poll of all wireless deviceusers in survey area 440. In this embodiment, the wireless device userscast their informal votes using their wireless devices, and thesubscriber obtains an instantaneous result of the poll.

In step 452, the subscriber selects a survey area within which thepresidential election poll is to be conducted. In this example, thesubscriber selects survey area 440, which is a large metropolitan area.Depending on the extent of the survey, the area selected may cover aplurality of cell sites, including cell sites 400, 401, and 402 shown inFIG. 5. In step 454, the survey area is provided to a location server,such as location server 102. The survey area can be uploaded to locationserver 102 using computer 141 through global computer network 140 andfront end 130.

In step 456, location server 102 can delineate the survey area.Delineation of the survey area may be performed using any one of severalmethods. For example, the survey area may be delineated using aplurality of nodes 441. Each of nodes 441 may comprise positioncoordinates of a coordinate system. Any coordinate system may be usedincluding, without limitation, an X-Y, or a Cartesian coordinate system.In step 458, location server 102 can select one or more appropriateantennas. In this example, a plurality of antennas 410, 411, and 412 areselected because together these antennas can broadcast a wireless signalthat covers the entire survey area 440. Each of these antenna also haspoint coordinates in the same coordinate system.

In step 460, location server 102 can broadcast a query in the form of awireless signal via antennas 410, 411, and 412, The wireless signal maybe coded to carry a survey comprising one or more questions. Thequestions may be in a voice or text format. An exemplary question maybe: “Which candidate are you likely to vote for? Press or say one forthe Republican candidate; press or say two for the Democraticcandidate.” Another question could be: “What do you consider to be themost important issue? Press or say one for national defense; press orsay two for health care.” The question may also be an open question,i.e., no choices are provided, such as: “Please briefly discuss, bysaying or by typing, how a campaign finance reform should beimplemented.”

In step 462, when wireless devices 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 430,431, 432, and 433 receive the query, the users of these wireless devicescan be alerted to the query, either by a ringing tone, a vibration onthe devices, or other notification features of the wireless devices. Theusers may then hear or see the question on the wireless devices.

In step 464, the wireless device users can respond to the survey throughan action or an inaction. Some of the users may press or say 1; othersmay press or say 2; still others may refuse to participate by pressingother keys or simply ignore the survey. Each action or inaction by thewireless device users can be considered as a response.

In step 466, the response can be transmitted to location server 102. Thetransmittal can be done via known wireless communication techniques. Instep 468, a location system, such as network-based location system 106shown in FIG. 1, can generate location information for each of thewireless devices that transmitted a response. Generation of the locationinformation may be done using any known method. In this embodiment, thelocation information can be generated using triangulation among cellsites. For example, the point coordinates of wireless device 430 orwireless device 420 may be determined based on distances from antennas410, 411, and 412. Point coordinates of these antennas may be retrievedfrom a memory, such as memory 104 shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, thelocation information may be generated by a handheld location system,such as a GPS receiver, that is part of the wireless device. Thelocation information preferably contains point coordinates of thecorresponding wireless device using the same coordinate system as thepoint coordinates of the antennas.

In step 470, location server 102 can evaluate each response to determinewhether it was generated by a wireless device from survey area 440. Thelocation server in essence, filters out any and all responses receivedfrom wireless devices 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, and 425.

In step 472, only responses received from wireless devices 430, 431,432, and 433 are processed. Processing of the responses involvescategorizing the responses into three groups: (1) the number of userswho voted for the Republican candidate; (2) the number of users whovoted for the Democratic candidate; and (3) the number of users whoreceived the survey but did not vote for either candidate. In addition,further processing of the responses may be performed, includinganalyzing which subsection or subsections of survey area 440 are infavor of one candidate over the other. The analysis could be used toformulate a more focused campaign by a candidate in one or more of thesesubsections. In step 474, the result of the survey can be compiled as areport. Also, in step 474, the report may be delivered to the subscribervia, for example, global computer network 140.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a cell site of a wirelesscommunication network within which a dispatch system is located. In thisembodiment, a response generated by a wireless device further comprisesidentity information of the wireless device in addition to locationinformation. The identity information may include the MIN or thetelephone number, if any, of the wireless device. The identityinformation may also comprise the name of the owner of the wirelessdevice. The dispatch system of this embodiment may be used, for example,by a taxi company to dispatch taxi drivers. The taxi company (thesubscriber) may use the identity information to contact one or more taxidrivers. As shown in FIG. 7, affiliated wireless devices 530, 531, and532, as well as non-affiliated wireless devices 520 and 521, are locatedwithin cell site 500.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involved in using the thirdpreferred embodiment of the present invention as the dispatch system. Instep 542, a survey area for dispatching is selected by the subscriber.For example, the survey or dispatch area may be “within three miles ofthe Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport.” For example, circle 540may represent the dispatch area. In step 544, the subscriber can provideinformation related to dispatch area 540 to a location server, such aslocation server 102 shown in FIG. 1. Communication between thesubscriber and location server 102 may be established via any knownmethod, In step 546, location server 102 can delineate dispatch area540, Delineation of dispatch area 540 may be done using any knownmethod. In this embodiment, the delineation is done using a circlehaving a three-mile radius from the center point of the AtlantaHartsfield International Airport, which is shown as node 541 in FIG. 7.Preferably, point coordinates of center node 541, can be obtained from amemory storage, such as memory 104 shown in FIG. 1.

In step 548, an appropriate antenna can be selected to transmit signals.To that end, location server 102 can search information contained inmemory 104, and it may find antenna 510 to be the most appropriateantenna because the entire dispatch area 540 is within wireless coverageof antenna 510. The search may not necessary if it is well known thatthe dispatch area of the taxi company is always within the coverage ofantenna 510.

In step 550, location server 102, in conjunction with other appropriatewireless communication components including antenna 510, can broadcastan initial query over cell site 500. The initial query can be in theform of a wireless signal encoded such that the initial query isintelligible only by wireless devices that are affiliated with thesubscriber, including wireless devices 530, 531, and 532. The wirelesssignal can be encoded such that other wireless devices such asnon-affiliated wireless devices 520 and 521, will not process theinitial query even though these wireless devices are located within cellsite 500.

In step 552, affiliated wireless devices 530, 531, and 532 receive andprocess the initial query. The receipt of the initial query by each ofthe affiliated wireless devices can trigger the wireless devices togenerate an automatic response in step 554. The automatic response cancomprise location information. The location information may be createdby a handheld location system. A GPS receiver is an example of ahandheld location system. In this embodiment, the location informationcomprises point coordinates pinpointing the location of a wirelessdevice. The point coordinates preferably comprise a longitude and alatitude. Additional information, such as identity information of theaffiliated wireless device, can then be added to the automatic response.The identity information may include, among other things, one or more ofthe MIN of the affiliated wireless device, the telephone number of theaffiliated wireless device, and the name of the owner of the affiliatedwireless device. In step 556, the automatic response can be transmittedto location server 102.

In step 558, location server 102 receives the automatic response. Instep 560, a determination can be made on whether the automatic responsecame from an affiliated wireless device that is located in dispatch area540. For example, if the point coordinates contained in the automaticresponse indicate that the automatic response is received fromaffiliated wireless device 530 that is located beyond circle 540, thatautomatic response is considered not desirable. Otherwise, if theautomatic response is received from affiliated wireless device 531 thatis located within circle 540, the response is forwarded to be processedin step 562. In step 560, location server 102 could also verify theidentity information to make sure that it came from a wireless devicethat is still in affiliation with the subscriber. Verification can bedone by checking a database accessible by location server 102.

In step 562, location server 102, in conjunction with other componentsof the wireless communication network, can initiate a subsequent querydirected specifically to affiliated wireless device 531. The subsequentquery may be a voice message or a text message informing the user ofaffiliated wireless device 531 to pick up a passenger at the AtlantaHartsfield International Airport.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a plurality of cell sites of awireless communication network serving a large metropolitan area. Surveyarea 640, indicated in dashed lines and delineated by a plurality ofnodes 641 a through 641 h, is located within wireless coverage of aplurality of cell sites 600, 601, and 602. Each of the plurality of cellsites is served by antennas 610, 611, and 612. Wireless devices 630,631, 632, and 633 are located within survey area 640, and wirelessdevices 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, and 625 are located beyond theboundaries of survey area 640. Cell sites 600, 601, and 602 may bemacrocells, microcells, or picocells.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involved in using a fourthpreferred embodiment of the present invention to track movements ofwireless devices located within a large metropolitan area. Fordiscussion purposes, a specific example is discussed herein. In theexample, a subscriber desires to track the movement of people carryingwireless devices 630, 631, 632, and 633 within survey area 640 shown inFIG. 9. For instance, the subscriber wishes to know the distributionpattern of wireless devices 630, 631, 632, and 633 in three sections:namely, Sections A, B, and C, defined by nodes 641 a-641 b-641 g-641 h,nodes 641 b-641 c-641 f-641 g, and nodes 641 c-641 d-641 e-641 f,respectively. A result obtained from such survey is helpful, forexample, for transportation planning purposes.

In step 652, the subscriber can define a set of parameters for thesurvey. The parameters may include, for example, the number of queriesto be broadcast and the time at which each query is to be broadcast. Forexample, the subscriber may decide that a distribution pattern ofwireless devices 630, 631, 632, and 633 for each section of survey area640 is needed every hour on the hour between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eachcount shows the number of wireless devices 630, 631, 632, and 633 ineach Sections A, B, and C. The set of parameters is then provided to alocation server, such as location server 102 shown in FIG. 1.

In step 654, the survey area is delineated. For example, nodes 641 athrough 641 h can be used to delineate survey area 640 and Sections Athrough C, as shown in FIG. 9. Sections A, B, and C may represent theresidential, business, and entertainment districts of the metropolitanarea, respectively.

In step 656, an initial query is broadcast. The query is preferably inthe form of a wireless signal as described in earlier embodimentsdiscussed above. The broadcast is performed via, among other componentsof the wireless communication network, antennas 610, 611, and 612, overthe survey area. In this specific example, a first query is broadcast at5 a.m.

In step 658, a response from each of wireless devices 630, 631, 632, and633 is received by location server 102. In step 660, the response can bestored in a memory, such as memory 104 shown in FIG. 1. In step 662, adetermination can be made on whether a subsequent query must bebroadcast based on the parameters defined in step 652. The processrepeats steps 656 through 662 as long as there is a subsequent query tobe broadcast. In this example, these steps are repeated every hour onthe hour between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. The last query is broadcast at 7 p.m.

If, in step 662, it is determined that there is no subsequent query tobe broadcast, i.e., it is after 7 p.m., the process moves on to step 664in which all responses received in step 658 can be analyzed. Theanalysis may include, for example, reviewing the fluctuations ofwireless device density in each of Sections A, B, and C. The analysiscould also provide data on the flow of movements, e.g., do people tendto move from Section B to Section A or from outside area 640 in, etc. Instep 666, a result of analysis is compiled. The result may be presentedin the form of a table, a chart, or a graph. In step 668, the report canbe delivered to the subscriber.

The foregoing disclosure of embodiments and specific examples of thepresent invention has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations andmodifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scopeof the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto,and by their equivalents.

We claim:
 1. A method comprising: delineating, at a server comprising aprocessor, a survey area using nodes of a communications network,wherein each of the nodes is associated with point coordinates, andwherein the survey area is located within a wireless coverage area of aplurality of cell sites; facilitating, by the server, a broadcast of asurvey communication within the survey area; receiving, by the server,responses of wireless devices that receive the broadcast of the surveycommunication; obtaining, by the server, location informationcorresponding to locations of the wireless devices that receive thebroadcast of the survey communication; and determining, by the serverbased on the location information, a count of wireless devicespositioned with respect to the survey area.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising: determining an estimate of a number of peoplepositioned with respect to the survey area based on the responsesreceived.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving amessage indicating the survey area; and facilitating the broadcast inresponse to receiving the message, wherein delineating the survey areacomprises delineating the survey area based upon content of the message.4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises data identifyingstreets corresponding to the survey area, and wherein delineating thesurvey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon the data.5. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises data identifyinga location of a user, and wherein delineating the survey area comprisesdelineating the survey area based upon the data.
 6. The method of claim3, wherein the message comprises data identifying a place correspondingto the survey area, and wherein delineating the survey area comprisesdelineating the survey area based upon the data.
 7. The method of claim1, further comprising: compiling a report comprising data indicating anestimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect to thesurvey area and an estimate of a number of people positioned withrespect to the survey area; and sending the report to a subscriber. 8.The method of claim 7, wherein the survey communication comprises aninquiry directed to the wireless devices, and wherein the report furthercomprises responses to the inquiry.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: obtaining location information indicating locations of thewireless devices, wherein the location information is included in theresponses.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising detectingmovement of the wireless devices with respect to the survey area. 11.The method of claim 10, wherein the survey communication corresponds toa first survey communication, and wherein detecting the movementcomprises facilitating a broadcast of a second survey communicationwithin the survey area to detect movement of the wireless devices.
 12. Amethod comprising: delineating, at a server comprising a processor, asurvey area using nodes of a communications network, wherein each of thenodes is associated with point coordinates, and wherein the survey areais located within a wireless coverage area of a plurality of cell sites;facilitating, by the server, a broadcast of a survey communicationwithin the survey area; receiving, by the server, responses of wirelessdevices that receive the broadcast of the survey communication; anddetermining, by the server based upon the responses received, anestimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect to thesurvey area.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detectingmovement of the wireless devices with respect to the survey area. 14.The method of claim 13, wherein the survey communication corresponds toa first survey communication, and wherein detecting the movementcomprises facilitating a broadcast of a second survey communicationwithin the survey area to detect movement of the wireless devices. 15.The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving a messageindicating the survey area; and facilitating the broadcast in responseto receiving the message, wherein delineating the survey area comprisesdelineating the survey area based upon content of the message.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the message comprises data identifying alocation of a user, and wherein delineating the survey area comprisesdelineating the survey area based upon the data.
 17. The method of claim12, further comprising: compiling a report comprising data indicating anestimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect thesurvey area and an estimate of a number of people positioned withrespect to the survey area; and sending the report to a subscriber. 18.A method comprising: receiving, by a server comprising a processor, arequest to conduct a survey; delineating, by the server in response tothe request, a survey area, wherein the survey area is delineated bynodes of a communications network, and wherein the survey area islocated within a wireless coverage area of a plurality of cell sitesassociated with a wireless network; facilitating, by the server, abroadcast of a survey communication within the survey area; receiving bythe server, responses of wireless devices that receive the broadcast ofthe survey communication; obtaining by the server, location informationcorresponding to locations of the wireless devices that responded to thesurvey communication; and determining by the server based on thelocation information, an estimate of a number of wireless devicespositioned with respect to the survey area.
 19. The method of claim 18,further comprising detecting movement of the wireless devices withrespect to the survey area, wherein the survey communication correspondsto a first survey communication, and wherein detecting the movementcomprises facilitating a broadcast of a second survey communicationwithin the survey area to detect movement of the wireless devices. 20.The method of claim 18, further comprising: compiling a reportcomprising data indicating the estimate of the number of wirelessdevices positioned with respect to the survey area and an estimate of anumber of people positioned with respect to the survey area; and sendingthe report to a subscriber, wherein the subscriber comprises asubscriber that generated the request to conduct the survey.